1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a curtain wall. More specifically, the invention relates to a panel member mounting structure of a curtain wall forming an exterior wall of an architecture.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a curtain wall, there is known such construction that a frame body comprising a plurality of quadrangular frame sections is constructed by mullions and transoms, and that panel members such as glasses are mounted on respective quadrangular frame sections.
One of the structures for mounting the panel member on the quadrangular frame section is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 2548, where leg pieces of L-shaped gaskets are inserted into the exterior side portions of mullions and transoms, and arm pieces of the L-shaped gaskets are pressed onto the exterior side surfaces of the panel members, thereby holding the panel members.
Another structure is disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. Sho 53-46015, where a gasket is so constructed that it has a pair of mounting tongue pieces and a pair of panel receiving grooves, each of the panel receiving grooves being defined by a pair of seal lips, one of the seal lips being designed to be deformable toward the exterior side, and fixing strips are detachably provided for preventing the deformable seal lip from deforming toward the exterior side. After the gaskets are fitted to the exterior side portions of the mullions and the transoms, panel members are mounted by deforming the deformable seal lips toward the exterior side, and then, the fixing strips are fitted. Thus, the panel members are held by the gaskets.
In the former panel member mounting structure, the gaskets are installed while the panel member is being held within the quadrangular frame section. That is, work of holding the panel member within the quadrangular frame section is necessary when the gaskets are installed. Holding the panel member within the quadrangular frame section is in itself a cumbersome work. Therefore, the panel member mounting operation this structure is quite cumbersome.
Further, in this structure, since each two gaskets vertically or horizontally adjacent to each other and serving to hold respective panel members are simply in contact with each other, rain water and so forth may penetrate through the contact portion.
In the latter panel member mounting structure, since the panel members are mounted after the gaskets have been installed on the mullions and the transoms, the panel member mounting operation is less cumbersome as far as it goes. However, in this structure, each gasket is formed to have a pair of panel member receiving grooves and is designed to hold a plurality of adjacent panel members, so that the gasket is rather large and heavy. The installation work of large and heavy gaskets is troublesome. Therefore, the panel member mounting operation in this structure is still cumbersome, too.